A Reuters reporter at the scene saw the bodies of two men who appeared to be
suicide bombers and a blown-up car that had apparently been used to destroy the
main entrance of the jail. It appeared almost all the prisoners had escaped.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said gunmen and three suicide bombers
attacked the prison at 2 am and freed 400 prisoners. The three bombers were
killed, he said.

“Forty Afghan security forces and prison guards were killed in the prison
break and important military mujahideen officials have been freed,” he said.

The Taliban often exaggerate casualty tolls in statements about attacks on
government and foreign targets.

Mohammed Ali Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Ghazni, said 352 prisoners had
escaped, including about 150 Taliban. He said seven Taliban and four members of
the Afghan security forces were killed in the attack in Ghazni, about 120
kilometres (75 miles) south-west of the capital, Kabul.

Security officials would not confirm how many prisoners were in the jail or
the number of casualties.

One security official said the attackers were wearing the uniforms of Afghan
security forces.

The Taliban are fighting to overthrow the foreign-backed government of
President Ashraf Ghani, expel foreign forces from Afghanistan and impose a strict
interpretation of Islamic law.